It’s been a decade since I wrote my first blog and when I was writing my first blog, I was determined to build a world-class content. I didn’t persist and so, I failed. I can list a thousand reasons on why I didn’t, but then – it is only a defense. Even if I defend – whom am I defending against? The fact would remain the fact – that I failed. That means, I need to first accept my failure and use the brain cycles for betterment than against finding reasons that none cares or bothers about. I accept my failure.

Ok, self-acceptance of failure – what next. I had two options – abandon the blog and pretend everything is fine or start over again and persist. I chose to start over again.

Why am I starting again?

Every failure in my life has thought me lessons. Lessons on what should I do, how should I approach and more importantly, what should I not do. I consider that not being consistent in my blog is one big failure with lessons. Now, what / where I am gona use these of my lessons from failure of build a blog. I can’t go tell anyone my lessons on what I know about blogging – as I haven’t tested myself and not sure if they would lead to success. So, I have a reason to check my lessons.

On a dead bed – If I were to be asking myself what are many things that you didn’t do well and you could have done well at least starting late. I am not gona sound philosophical or sentimental. I am not even sure if I will be looking back on my life and regret in my dead bed – but if I were to imagine if I were to be asking this question – I would want a better answer and reasons. So I have yet another reason.

My mind, thoughts, thinking were shaped by many blogs, books and writings. Many great people have said letting others know what you learnt will increase your understanding, knowledge etc. I read and I want to make public what I know.

Last but not the least – this medium will bring me opportunity that otherwise will not.

So, many reasons guys. I am justifying myself and not you.

Hey – Will you succeed again?

Is there any guarantee that I will succeed starting afresh? I don’t know all that I need to build a successful blog. All I have is my failed experience and lessons. I feel that alone would not get me build a successful blog.

“When the student is ready the teacher will appear” Zen Proverb

When I was searching for lessons on how to build a better blog – John Sonmez, the Founder of Simple Programmer appeared in front of me (actually, I found him though google) He is offering a free blogging course. Man, awesome course – signup, read his blog, listen to his podcast they are awesome.

Its that time of the year again, where I get to look back with mixed feelings on what I did/didn’t do. No wonder, I have too many not done’s than the done’s. It has to be that way, for I have something to chase after. Good or bad, chasing has become part of life.

Spent most of my 2010 away from home and that meant a lot of self reflection in solitude; which in-turn brought in many insights. Read many books & articles, met different people, went around places. I am a far better person than I was at the start of 2010, which is kind of good, but I am not where I wanted to be.

Reflection has changed my perspective towards life, career and many other things. As such, from 50,000 foot above, my 2011 would be spent on (not in any particular order)

– Focused improvement on skills
– Building an online identity
– Learn more on Farming(I am from a farming community and I would be starting a new blog around it soon).
– Focused Financial investments
– Quality time with Family
– Travel to learn farming
– Help people grow

Some call this chasing – a rat race, survival of fittest and what not. Like it or not, I am part of it- getting away from it means a lot, which is what I am going to work on this year.

It is one year passed since I landed in Melbourne. What started as a three month trip would finally end up as a 14 month trip. I would be returning back to India at the end of Nov.

I thought of writing about my professional & personal experience during this past one year in Melbourne.

A not-so interesting thought that runs on my mind is how the projects are planned or otherwise how the due dates were calculated. When I came in, this project was already delayed by about six months and was expected to be completed in 3 months. Hence it started as a three months trip. As the due date approached, the optimism faded away and the due date was pushed by another couple of months, then another couple of months and now the due date is getting puhsed by week(s). You guessed it right, the project is not going to end in Nov. It is going to take a while, but the good news is that the project is very much under control than it was 14 months back.

You could imagine the pressure on the team, the management and the client on such a project. Sitting with Client made me realize how hard it is to get funding for a project that misses deadline. It is not easy – the business manager has to convince the IT department, accounts department, strategy department and so many people to keep the project going. It is not that easy to convince someone after a couple of times, you loose your trust-worthiness. Looking back there were many things that had gone wrong. If I were asked to pick one thing that could have bettered our chances of determining the date, I would choose “Loosing the bigger Picture”. Most of the times, the due dates were calculated based on the burning issues that is on hand. Fix the burining issues, next set of burining issues creep up and the next and the next. And Yes, there were many things that we didnt see it coming (performance issues, Virtual Server enviroment issues, Network issues on VM , issues on third party tools etc.,). It would be a very long story to write, so, I end about this subject here.

Another dangerous thing that is happening in the industry is the way in which the agile is being adopted. Well, I am not against Agile, but the way it is being driven for adoption is really concerning me. The client I am working with had brought in best of the breed Agile Consultants to educate its employees, prepare them to go agile for over a year. A lot of money was spent on training and education. When the client had an understanding on the way the agile projects are run, they wanted its service providers to do the project in Agile way too. Most of the service providers are clueless about agile. All they *think* is Agile methodolgy is fast catching up in market and is another resume skill.. Isnt it a big bullshit? I can seet it failing big time. Seervice providers are trying to mass – commoditize Agile, which I think isnt going to work. I am wondering what these people would be talking about Agile after a few years.

A lot of professional learning on software writing and project management. The last one year has thought me more lessons than any of the years in my career.

Personally, my perspective towards life has changed a lot. May be I am not able to put in on writing, but there is a lot of change in my attitude and approach towards my life. I learnt and experienced a lot moving around Melbourne. I went around places, learnt cooking , went to Australian Grand Prix, Austrlian Open, local Footy and a couple of cricket matches. A good experince all together. I gained new interests and hobbies – photography for example. They say, Melbourne is a live city and I would recomend anyone to spent sometime in this city.
A good year so far.

When I landed in Melbourne seven months ago, I met one of my friend with whom I wasn’t in touch for last 8 years. We went to same college, we started our career in the same company and we stayed in a same home then. For some reasons we lost contact and we met again last September. I was staying in his home for about two months when I landed in Melbourne.

I learnt and still learning many things from him. The most important of all is how to remain positive and openness to accept things and change them the way we wanted it to be. He helped me to look into the aspects of life which I have never looked at, the aspects of work and the aspect of many a things. Being with him, I feel more energetic, more enthusiastic and much more.

It is important you should have friends whom you can wake up at middle of night to talk nonsense. Surrounding yourself with positive and good friends is very important for your health, life and work. This is not a long kept secret, but a simple thing that takes you miles.